142 Cromer Calls for Troops [1906 



matter on Friday, if he is back in London. You will not forget that 

 Balfour, in one of his speeches in the House three years ago, defined 

 Egypt as ' a province of the Ottoman Empire in the military occupa- 

 tion of England.' We have of course no legal right there by any rule 

 of international law, nor by any European instrument except the private 

 agreement lately made with France. We are sure to be called to 

 account internationally for our presence there one of these days, as the 

 position on the Suez Canal is too important in the world for the other 

 Mediterranean Powers to acknowledge it permanently. 



" Yours very truly. 



" W. S. B." 



" A Cabinet Council sat yesterday, and the King is returning in haste 

 from the Mediterranean ; a pretty kettle of fish it is. Cromer has 

 called for reinforcements in Egypt, not, I imagine, to attack the Turks 

 with, but to overawe the Nationalists, and because he cannot depend 

 upon the Egyptian army in a case where the Sultan is concerned. 

 The great doubt is about the Khedive's attitude ; that he hates the Eng- 

 lish regime is certain, and also that he has of late years been hand in 

 glove with the Sultan, but the London papers announce that he has just 

 been entertaining the Prince of Wales at Cairo, and that he has prom- 

 ised to pay him a return visit in England this summer. Abbas, however, 

 has become such a double dealer that he is probably on the Sultan's 

 side secretly, and towards Cromer is playing precisely the same old 

 game played by his father and grandfather of running with the Nation- 

 alist hare and hunting with the European hounds. Cromer has just 

 published a grandiloquent Report of his year's achievements, and he 

 has shoved into it a plan of reforms and improvements for the Sinai 

 Peninsula, doubtless in view of the Tabah dispute which began as 

 long ago as January. If the Sultan stands to his guns I don't see 

 precisely what our people can do in Egypt. They have not the force 

 there to turn the Turks out of the disputed territory, and they cannot 

 bombard Constantinople without a gross breach of the European peace. 

 A naval demonstration is their only remedy. They will probably 

 blockade Hodeida and so endeavour to apply pressure, but I doubt if 

 the Emperor William will allow action at Smyrna of the kind taken by 

 France a few years ago. In Natal, too, they are in difficulties through 

 a Zulu revolt, so that it may well happen that our splendid Radical 

 government, pledged up to the eyes to peace and retrenchment, may find 

 themselves with two wars on their hands within six weeks of their 

 coming into office. 



" 2nd May. — As to my letter to Redmond I see that Grey and Fitz- 

 maurice have explained themselves. Also Cromer's Report has come, 

 and I have written a long article on it of 2,000 words for the ' Man- 



